Steerable Mirror Camera for Vehicle ROI Imaging
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing vehicle sensing systems face inefficiencies due to processing and data transfer challenges from cameras and other sensing devices, particularly with higher definition cameras, as they need to focus on relevant portions of the viewable region associated with the vehicle's trajectory, but current technologies struggle to identify and prioritize these regions effectively.
Innovation Solution
An attention-based imaging system that includes a camera with a steerable mirror and controller, capable of dynamically adjusting its field of view and resolution, to identify and prioritize regions of interest within the viewable region, thereby concentrating resources on relevant areas.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If higher definition cameras are used to capture more detailed images, then measurement precision is improved, but data transfer burden and processing requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent divides the viewable region into multiple regions of interest (ROIs) based on vehicle trajectory and relevance. Only these segmented ROIs are captured at high definition, while other areas are captured at lower resolution or skipped entirely, reducing overall data volume while maintaining precision where needed
Solution Approach 2:
The system applies different image quality levels to different spatial regions. High definition capture is applied locally to ROIs that are relevant to vehicle operation, while other regions receive reduced attention, optimizing the balance between measurement precision and data quantity
2Measurement precision
If higher definition cameras are used to capture more detailed images, then measurement precision is improved, but processing capability requirements increase
Solution Approach 1:
The processing system is segmented to handle only relevant ROIs at high definition. By identifying and processing only the portions of the viewable region that contain trajectory-related information, the processing capability requirement is reduced while maintaining measurement precision for critical areas
Solution Approach 2:
The system extracts and processes only the essential information from ROIs that are relevant to vehicle control. By taking out and focusing processing resources on only the necessary portions of the image data, processing complexity is reduced while preserving measurement precision for decision-critical elements
3Reliability
If the camera monitors the entire viewable region at high resolution, then reliability of situation awareness is improved, but loss of time and energy increases
Solution Approach 1:
The monitoring system segments the viewable region into ROIs based on vehicle trajectory and relevance. By monitoring only these segmented regions at high resolution rather than the entire field of view, the system maintains reliability of situation awareness for critical areas while reducing processing time and energy consumption
Solution Approach 2:
The system performs preliminary identification of ROIs based on vehicle trajectory and relevance before full image processing. This preliminary action allows the system to pre-determine which regions require detailed monitoring, reducing subsequent processing time while maintaining situation awareness reliability
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
This solution enhances system performance by reducing unnecessary data processing and transfer, improving the focus on critical regions, thus optimizing resource allocation and enhancing vehicle operation control.
Implementation Method 1
The steerable mirror is interposed between the internal lenses and the external lenses. The steerable mirrors are arranged to project the viewable region from the external lens onto the image sensor via the internal lens
Implementation Method 2
The lidar device includes a laser transmitter and a receiver, and the laser transmitter is arranged to project a laser beam onto the steerable mirror. The controller is also arranged to control the steerable mirror to a second setting, activate the laser transmitter to project the laser beam into the viewable region via the steerable mirror, and capture via the receiver a reflected image of the laser beam
Data Source
AI summary
An attention-based imaging system is described, including a camera that can adjust its field of view (FOV) and resolution and a control routine that can determine one or more regions of interest (ROI) within the FOV to prioritize camera resources. The camera includes an image sensor, an internal lens, a steerable mirror, an external lens, and a controller. The external lens is disposed to monitor a viewable region, and the steerable mirror is interposed between the internal lenses and the external lenses. The steerable mirrors are arranged to project the viewable region from the external lens onto the image sensor via the internal lens. The steerable mirror modifies the viewable region that is projected onto the image sensor and controls the image sensor to capture an image. The associated control routine can be deployed either inside the camera or in a separate external processor.